The penalty award was a huge call by referee Wiliam Halford, being the only one conceded all game by a Saxons pack that was dominant in the tight phases. The scrums frequently needed re-setting and Otley’s shipped 4 penalties, though only one of those was in kicking range. But the Saxons only had themselves to blame for the narrow margin on the scoreboard, the intensity of the home defensive effort making it rare indeed that they threatened Otley's tryline.

The Saxons opened the scoring with a 6th minute Caolan Ryan penalty for an Otley transgression at the tackle. Ryan slotted another on 24 minutes when Nathan Bressington was high-tackled after taking an inside pass, but Otley set siege to the Saxons’ line in the latter stages of the 1st half and a succession of Saxons’ defensive penalty concessions drew a yellow card for hooker Stewart Pearl. Otley went for the jugular and were able to force a short range lineout catch & drive over the line against the Saxons’ depleted defences, making it 7-6 at halftime.

Replacement hooker Dale Garner was taken out off the ball as the Saxons attacked shortly after captain Ben Hughes had read the riot act at the break, allowing Ryan to recover the lead at 7-9. But he missed with further kicks at goal on 48 & 59 minutes either side of Otley regaining the lead with a penalty for a ruck offence. The lead changed hands again with a 63rd minute Ryan penalty for a tackler not rolling away, and with Gemmell also missing on 68 minutes the Saxons looked likely to hold on to a 2 point margin until they knocked the ball on in contact. The scrum engaged, Mr Halford awarded the penalty and Gemmell stepped up to score the final, decisive 3 points to secure Otley’s victory.

The Saxons desperate attempts to run out of their own 22 in the dying seconds came to nothing with a knock on forced by desperate Otley tackling.

The Saxons can reflect on a game they lost by too often surrendering possession cheaply rather than sticking to the basics and grinding down Otley’s pack. Their opponents were able to impose a high-tempo style that kept the Saxons on the back foot for long stretches of play, shipping territory and kickable penalties because of some uncharacteristically poor tackling.